Jeff Haney on the New England Patriots and the highest betting line of the modern NFL era

Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

When the New England Patriots settled in as 231/2 -point favorites against the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's game in Foxboro, Mass., it was the biggest point spread in an NFL game since at least 1980.

New England, 10-0 straight up and 9-1 against the point spread, opened as a slightly shorter favorite Monday at several Las Vegas sports books, including the Hilton and all Station Casinos properties, after thumping the Buffalo Bills 56-10 Sunday.

The Patriots were quickly bet up to 23 1/2 by gamblers who figure the Pats will essentially be able to name the score against a mediocre Philadelphia team that's 5-5 straight up and against the spread.

Other sports books elected to keep the game "off the board," or unavailable for betting, because of the uncertain status of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who has a swollen thumb and a sprained ankle. McNabb sustained the injuries in Sunday's 17-7 victory against the Miami Dolphins.

Early estimates by oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants had the Eagles 18-point underdogs with McNabb or 22-point underdogs without McNabb. Bettors who made the Patriots 231/2-point favorites are projecting another blowout victory, with or without McNabb in the game.

Las Vegas sports betting analyst R.J. Bell, whose research dates to 1980, proclaimed the Patriots the biggest NFL favorite in the modern era, surpassing the San Francisco 49ers, who were 23-point favorites against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 5, 1993. The 49ers won, 21-8.

The second-highest NFL point spread before this week, according to Bell's research, came when the 49ers were favored by 201/2 points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 19, 1992. The 49ers won, 21-14.

Since 1980, only five NFL games have had a point spread of 20 or more, according to Bell (online at pregame.com). Of more than 6,700 games in Bell's sample, 112 (1.66 percent) had lines of 141/2 points or higher, and five of those 112 underdogs won their games outright.

The biggest underdogs to win the game outright were the Washington Redskins, who beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-17 as 171/2 -point underdogs Dec. 3, 1995.

This year's biggest underdogs were the Bills, plus-161/2 against the Patriots on Sept. 23, a game New England won 38-7. This past Sunday's game closed at 16 at most Las Vegas sports books, although it hit 161/2 at a couple of spots in town.

The early Las Vegas Super Bowl line has the AFC favored by 151/2 points against the NFC, a number that reflects a probable clash between the Patriots and the Cowboys.

If the Patriots reach the Super Bowl and play a lesser NFC team, they could challenge the record for the highest postseason NFL betting line: the 49ers' minus 19 points against the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29 on Jan. 29, 1995. The 49ers won and covered, 49-26.

The Patriots are expected to be favored by double digits in each of their remaining regular-season games, according to oddsmakers at the Hilton, who offer early betting on selected NFL games. A possible exception could be their season finale on the road against the Giants, a game that could have playoff implications for New York.

Accountability corner

(In which accurate predictions made in past columns are righteously praised, and the ugly details of inaccurate predictions are rehashed.)

Las Vegas sports handicapper Joe D'Amico went 6-2 against the point spread in eight NFL and college football predictions in his most recent appearance in this space. D'Amico (online at allamericansports.info) was 3-1 in college and 3-1 in the pros. In another recent column, handicapper "Fairway" Jay Ginsbach split on a pair of NFL picks, going 1-1 against the spread, and went 0-1 on a college selection.

Election note

When TV sports prognosticator Wayne Allyn Root officially filed with the Federal Election Commission as a candidate for U.S. president, he used the occasion to plug his sports handicapping service.

"I'm on a six-week, 31-8, 79 percent documented and time-stamped streak in NCAA football," said Henderson's Root, running as a Libertarian. "Now that's something I'll bet no presidential candidate has ever said."

Well ... yes, that's probably true.